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NFL.com: New York Giants owner John Mara envisions end to kickoffs

New York Giants owner John Mara, a member of the NFL's Competition Committee, says he can see a day in which kickoffs will be eliminated from football.

“We had a lot of discussions about whether we should eliminate it and if we did, what we could do in its place,” Mara told Giants.com. “There’s no consensus on it right now, but I could see the day in the future where that play could be taken out of the game. You see it evolving toward that.”
Last year, the league moved kickoffs from the 30-yard line to the 35 as a safety measure, which Mara says is the committee’s top priority. He adds that the increase in touchbacks last year coincided with a decrease in concussions. Although there is little interest in eliminating kickoffs at this point, Mara pointed out that "There was no support for moving the kickoff back to the 30 yard-line."

Mara says the NFL won’t eliminate the kickoff until it has the right plan for how to get rid of it, but he seems to think the play is fundamentally unsafe.

“Nobody would go that far now, but we talk about different blocks that we can outlaw,” Mara said. “The problem is that the concussions come from everywhere -- from the wedge, from the crossing blocks where a guy goes from one side of the field to another, from a full speed collision between a return guy and a tackler. So there’s no one thing that you can do. It’s something that we'll continue to watch as closely as possible.”

Re: NFL.com: New York Giants owner John Mara envisions end to kickoffs

If they want to eliminate it they are on the right path. ...especially with television now. It's score... commercials.... kickoff... touchback.... more commercials....

That formula has left me saying that it might as well be score.... commercials.... the other team gets the ball on the 20 and we start play.

What they really need to do is eliminate the commercials after kickoffs. They are hurting the flow of the game IMHO. It's just particularly bad when they are happening after a touchback (AKA a 'nothing' play with no time off the clock).

Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

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"A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

Re: NFL.com: New York Giants owner John Mara envisions end to kickoffs

A kickoff returned for a touchdown is one of the most exciting plays in all of football. Dont get rid of that. Punts are just as dangerous. The returner is even more exposed there. Are you going to eliminate punts too?

Re: NFL.com: New York Giants owner John Mara envisions end to kickoffs

Here's another headline: NFL Fan idioteque envisions the end of tackling.

If they want the game to be 100% safe, just use flags and get it over with. Ugh.

Yeah, who cares about the health and safety of other people? I want MY entertainment to stay the same way it's always been because that's the way I like it! Professional athletes are barely human anyway.

Re: NFL.com: New York Giants owner John Mara envisions end to kickoffs

Yeah, who cares about the health and safety of other people? I want MY entertainment to stay the same way it's always been because that's the way I like it! Professional athletes are barely human anyway.

You sir, just made me puke. Go have your non-fat mocha latte and whole wheat bagel with non-fat strawberry banana cream cheese and stay the hell away from me. Forgive me if I like to see people paid to smash each other, smash each other, concussions and all. They know what they are getting into whenever the signed the dotted line.

Re: NFL.com: New York Giants owner John Mara envisions end to kickoffs

You sir, just made me puke. Go have your non-fat mocha latte and whole wheat bagel with non-fat strawberry banana cream cheese and stay the hell away from me. Forgive me if I like to see people paid to smash each other, smash each other, concussions and all. They know what they are getting into whenever the signed the dotted line.

Of course...maybe you forgot the green font??

Take your idiotic, cliche ridden arguments somewhere else. All you're saying is you don't care about the health of others as long as it doesn't interfere with your entertainment and that somehow makes you "manly". You're pathetic.

And no, if you've been paying any attention, you'd know that the players DON'T know what they're getting into. The NFL has been covering up the real impact of head injuries for years, and are just now trying to cover their asses. Take your "manly" willful ignorance away from me because it really is making me sick.

Re: NFL.com: New York Giants owner John Mara envisions end to kickoffs

As a Colts fan I liked the change in kickoffs last year (terrible coverage).. But as a football fan I hated it.. It's so exciting to watch someone like Hester do his thing and run 80+ yards downfield on a team for a TD.. You practically never see that anymore and the risk is still there, the players are still running at each other full speed.

I think if they keep the kickoffs the same they should make a touchback go up to the 25, making it more intriuging for a team to just knee it more so than running out and maybe only getting to the 15 yard line. Or they could change it to everyone starts on the 20. That would be fine as well.

Re: NFL.com: New York Giants owner John Mara envisions end to kickoffs

I already hate the shorter kickoffs. Being able to get better field position on kick returns is such a game changer. They barely have room to set up blocks and find holes. That's the only reason I wouldn't care if they got rid of it. The new kick off spot has ruined it anyways.